Winnipesaukee Forum - View Single Post - Non-OEM battery for lawnmower/

SailinAway · 07-01-2022, 01:02 PM

After doing a lot of research and reading and watching a ton of reviews, it seems to me that at this point in time batteries and electric lawnmowers are not at the point where they are a reliable product and good investment. Reasons:

Short run time
Short lifespan of battery
High cost to replace battery
Poor cutting: uneven, poor suction, bogs down in taller grass and weeds
Difficulty contact the manufacturer
Difficulty getting the manufacturer to honor the warranty

These problems seem typical of a product that hasn't been on the market long enough nor had enough R&D to be reliable. In contrast, I've had my Craftsman gas mower with Briggs and Stratton motor for somewhere between 15 and 20 years. My previous mower had a terrible B&S motor and Sears in Concord replaced it free of charge one year past the warranty because it was a known faulty motor. They didn't even make me file a warranty claim; they just gave me a new mower. The replacement mower has not had a single problem in more than 15 years. I pretty much abuse it. I've only changed the oil about 3 times. Last spark plug replacement was 3 years ago. Air filter ever 3 years. Today it started on the first pull! Granted, I dislike it for all the usual reasons: weight, not self-propelled, storing gas, spilling gas, dealing with plugs and filter, harm to the environment, etc. But it mows through tall, thick vegetation and has been completely reliable all these years and has lost no performance. I've had a similar experience with my gas Husqvarna string trimmer that I've had for 7 years---always starts on the 3rd pull as expected.

The reviews basically say, "A battery-powered lawnmower is pretty good when it works, but you have no idea if it's going to stop working one month or three years from now---they're unpredictable---and when it does stop working, it's going to be a nightmare trying to get it fixed or replaced."

If you think I'm being too harsh and I should give an electric mower a try, please explain. I really want to like these mowers. I just think they're a few years away from being cost effective and reliable.

07-01-2022, 01:02 PM	#27
SailinAway Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2019 Posts: 991 Thanks: 256 Thanked 280 Times in 169 Posts	After doing a lot of research and reading and watching a ton of reviews, it seems to me that at this point in time batteries and electric lawnmowers are not at the point where they are a reliable product and good investment. Reasons: Short run time Short lifespan of battery High cost to replace battery Poor cutting: uneven, poor suction, bogs down in taller grass and weeds Difficulty contact the manufacturer Difficulty getting the manufacturer to honor the warranty These problems seem typical of a product that hasn't been on the market long enough nor had enough R&D to be reliable. In contrast, I've had my Craftsman gas mower with Briggs and Stratton motor for somewhere between 15 and 20 years. My previous mower had a terrible B&S motor and Sears in Concord replaced it free of charge one year past the warranty because it was a known faulty motor. They didn't even make me file a warranty claim; they just gave me a new mower. The replacement mower has not had a single problem in more than 15 years. I pretty much abuse it. I've only changed the oil about 3 times. Last spark plug replacement was 3 years ago. Air filter ever 3 years. Today it started on the first pull! Granted, I dislike it for all the usual reasons: weight, not self-propelled, storing gas, spilling gas, dealing with plugs and filter, harm to the environment, etc. But it mows through tall, thick vegetation and has been completely reliable all these years and has lost no performance. I've had a similar experience with my gas Husqvarna string trimmer that I've had for 7 years---always starts on the 3rd pull as expected. The reviews basically say, "A battery-powered lawnmower is pretty good when it works, but you have no idea if it's going to stop working one month or three years from now---they're unpredictable---and when it does stop working, it's going to be a nightmare trying to get it fixed or replaced." If you think I'm being too harsh and I should give an electric mower a try, please explain. I really want to like these mowers. I just think they're a few years away from being cost effective and reliable.